Method of packaging grinding wheels

ABSTRACT

A package for grinding wheels and method for assembly thereof in the form of an elongated square wheel supporting container for holding one or more axially aligned grinding wheels of substantially the same diameter therein and having square end covers within opposite ends of the container, and tensioned tied strands of strapping extending across the end covers and axially along the center of each side of the container opposite a line of contact between the inside walls of the container and the wheels. Disclosed also, is a method of packaging grinding wheels by stacking and centering them upon an end cover. A square container of sufficient length is slipped over the stack endwise and another end cover is placed over the exposed end of the stack of wheels to fit within the tube. Strapping is then stretched tightly across the outside of the end covers and along the center of each side of the container to force the wheels together and each side of the container into contact with the periphery of each of the wheels.

United States Patent [191 Rechberger [75] Inventor: Franz F. Rechberger, Hamilton, On-

tario, Canada [73] Assignee: Norton Company, Worcester, Mass.

[22] Filed: June 24, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 156,522

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 11,386, Feb. 16, 1970, Pat. No.

[52] U.S. Cl ..53/26 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 23/00, B65b 13/00 [58] Field of Search .....53/26, 37, 3; 206/65 R, 65 B, 206/46 R, 46 H [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 48,319 6/1865 Stearns ..206/65 R 2,527,819 10/1950 Janney.... ..206/65 B 2,707,553 5/1955 Yount ..206/65 13 2,997,164 8/1961 Rue ..206/46 H 3,724,160 Apr. 3, 1973 A package for grinding wheels and method for assembly thereof in the form of an elongated square wheel supporting container for holding one or more axially aligned grinding wheels of substantially the same diameter therein and having square end covers within opposite ends of the container, and tensioned tied strands of strapping extending across the end covers and axially along the center of each side of the container opposite a line of contact between the inside walls of the container and the wheels. Disclosed also, is a method of packaging grinding wheels by stacking and centering them upon an end cover. A square container of sufficient length is slipped over the stack endwise and another end cover is placed over the exposed end of the stack of wheels to fit within the tube. Strapping is then stretched tightly across the outside of the end covers and along the center of each side of the container to force the wheels together and each side of the container into contact with the periphery of each of the wheels.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures METHOD OF PACKAGING GRINDING WHEELS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a divisional application for an invention disclosed in and divided out of an original application,

Ser. No. 11,386 filed on Feb. 16, 1970, and now US. Pat. No. 3,630,349.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The invention relates to the packaging of grinding wheels for shipment in commerce.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past, grinding wheels have been packed in individually fabricated cardboard or wooden boxes and protected from damage in transit with sawdust or other waster material to fill the voids between the wheels and walls of the package. Also, it has been the practice to ship a plurality 'of individually packaged wheels by assembling a plurality of packages in larger containers. Such methods of packaging are costly as they require double handling and repackaging procedures, use of more materials, produce non-uniform and hard to handle shipping containers, require a larger inventory of various sized materials for making containers, incur the nuisance of having to use and dispose of the sawdust or waste materials, and increase the shipping weight.

The applicants invention provides a reduction in labor and materials costs; eliminates the use of sawdust or waste materials; provides multi-variable box lengths for enclosing any reasonable number of grinding wheels of approximately the same diameter; eliminates repackaging of already packaged wheels; facilitates easier in-plant packing of grinding wheels and handling and stacking of relatively lighter weight packages for shipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Preferably a plurality of grinding wheels of substantially the same diameter are packaged by stacking them in axial alignment with square end pieces for the container at the ends of the stack and protective deformable separators between them. A length of preformed square container material slightly longer then the axial length or height of the stack, is cut from stock that is stored in the form of collapsed flat strips. The preformed collapsed strip is then opened up to form a square elongated container element the side walls of which have dimensions slightly longer than the stack of the wheels and when the container is expanded the internal width is slightly larger than the diameter of the wheels so that it may be slipped over the stack. The flat square end covers of substantially the same cross-sectional area as the interior dimension of the elongated container fit within the opposite ends of the container at each end of the stack. Then the stack of wheels and separators, end covers, and the container are tied tightly together with conventional strapping stock. The strapping is extended across the end covers and axially along the middle of each exterior side of the container and is tensioned and fixed to maintain the walls of the container tightly engaged against tangent points on the wheels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grinding wheel package according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view partly broken away showing a flat strip of collapsed but preformed piece of stock from which is cut the container such as is shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a table and the components of a package thereon; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the grinding wheel package.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings there is shown a package 10 which may contain several axially aligned grinding wheels 12 of substantially the same diameter. The grinding wheels 12 may or may not have the conventional relatively thin wheel blotters 14 fixed on opposite sides thereof for mounting the wheels. Preferably, there are placed between the wheels 12, deformable separators 16 of substantially the same dimensions as the diameter, as the wheels. The separators 16 may be round or square. In some instances the wheel blotters are left off and the wheels may be a type which has a great resistance to breakage and therefore the protective separators 16 may be eliminated if desired.

A square container element 18, open at opposite ends, extends completely around the stack of wheels 12. Each end of the stack of wheels is covered with a flat square end cover 20 having sides 20a of a length substantially equal to the wheel diameter which end covers fit within the container 18 and against the wheels. Separators 16 and end covers 20 are made of conventional packaging materials such as, utility board or another pressed fiber product, cardboard, corrugated board, or foam plastic. The square container has an internal cross-sectional area at least equal to that of the end covers 20 which covers may be made slightly smaller for ease of inserting them within the container. The four internal or interior sidewall surfaces 18a of the container 18 surround the sides 20a of the end covers and surfaces 18a are in tangential engagement with the peripheries of the wheels 12. The overall length of the stack of wheels and the end covers determines the length axially of the stock and hence the length of the container to be cut from the elongated collapsed flat strip of preformed stock S shown in FIG. 2. The width of the container stock S is selected to match the diameter of the wheels to be enclosed therein and various container sizes are stock piled in the collapsed flat state in a minimum amount of space. The cut length forming container 18 may be constructed of any of the conventional packaging materials such as heavy cardboard, corrugated paper board, plastic and the like.

The provision of the completed deformable container stock material in various sizes commensurate with the diameters of the wheels to be packaged forms the esence of this invention. By providing the prefolded shape S, that is made up of the four walls of the container 18, joined together prior to the cutting of the container to length to fit the length of the stack of wheels, a convenient number of sizes of stock S can be stored in a minimum of space. When a particular size of container is needed, the proper size folded stock is selected, i. e. one where the side wall of the container is approximately the same size as the diameter of the wheels in the stack, and then a proper length of container material is cut from the flattened stock S. The deformed cut off piece is then opened up and is easily slid longitudinally, or endwise over the stack of wheels to encompass the product to be contained.

After the container 18 has been placed around a stack of wheels the package is tied together by two strands of conventional binding or strapping 22. The strapping or binding 22 may be in the form of a round or flat strand or tape formed of metal, fabric, or fiber reinforced materials which provides the necessary strength and tension to hold the package together. It may be applied, tensioned, and tied by hand but preferably is done with any of the well known commercially available conventional strapping devices on the market suited to apply tension, and fixed the ends of the strap together.

The two strands of strapping 22 cross each other at approximately right angles as they extend across the middle of the end covers the strapping 22, extending axially along the middle of each exterior side surface of the container 18 opposite the line of contact or tangency between the periphery of the wheels 12 and the interior side surface 180 of the container 18. Upon suitably tightening, tensioning and tying the ends of the strapping 22 together the grinding wheels are engaged tightly together and are compressed against the separators disposed therebetween. The middle portions of the end covers 20 and each of the sidewalls of the tube 18 engaged by the strapping 22 are also compressed and forced into engagement with the wheels. A package formed in this manner and properly tied becomes a substantially rigid self supporting block and maintains the wheels in a fixed relation one to another during handling.

The procedure or method for packaging one or more grinding wheels and producing the package 10 described above, can be varied: for example, wheels 12 may be stacked axially directly on a support or table T as shown in FIG. 3. The container 18 may then be slipped endwise over the stack of wheels and separators. Alternatively, an individual wheel, or a stack of wheels may be inserted into an expanded container 18. The end covers 20 can then be inserted into opposite ends of the container 18 after the wheel as the package is being completed by application of straps 22.

It is to be understood that modification of the embodiments of the invention disclosed hereinabove may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of packaging grinding wheels comprismg:

stacking a plurality of grinding wheels of substantially the same diameter together to form a row of the desired length with their axes substantially in alignment; v

encampassing the row of grinding wheels with a preformed container having interior side wall surfaces of a width equal, at least, to the diameter of the wheels and an axial length of at least the axial length of the row of wheels by sliding said container lengthwise over the outside of said row of wheels; inserting a square end cover each end of the container and over the ends of the row of wheels;

tying the row of wheels, the container, and the end covers tightly together by extending, tensioning, and fixing in place strands of strapping around the container and the end covers along substantially the center ,of each exterior side wall surface of the container and the end covers;

whereby a central portion of each side wall of the container and of each end cover is compressed and made to contact the row of wheels, and the wheels and the end covers are held together under a compression force and are prevented from moving relative to each other and the container.

2. A method of packaging grinding wheels according to claim 1 wherein the step of stacking the grinding wheels comprises:

stacking the grinding wheels vertically on a support on one of the end covers placed on the support; and the encompassing step is accomplished by slipping the tube endwise over the stack of wheels and the one end cover. 3. A method of packaging grinding wheels according to claim 2 further comprising:

placing strapping means on the support under the one end cover before stacking the wheels;

then encompassing the stacked row of wheels in the container and placing an end cover over the stacked wheels;

and then tensioning and sealing the strapping means around the container. 

1. A method of packaging grinding wheels comprising: stacking a plurality of grinding wheels of substantially the same diameter together to form a row of the desired length with their axes substantially in alignment; encampassing the row of grinding wheels with a preformed container having interior side wall surfaces of a width equal, at least, to the diameter of the wheels and an axial length of at least the axial length of the row of wheels by sliding said container lengthwise over the outside of said row of wheels; inserting a square end cover within each end of the container and over the ends of the row of wheels; tying the row of wheels, the container, and the end covers tightly together by extending, tensioning, and fixing in place strands of strapping around the container and the end covers along substantially the center of each exterior side wall surface of the container and the end covers; whereby a central portion of each side wall of the container and of each end cover is compressed and made to contact the row of wheels, and the wheels and the end covers are held together under a compression force and are prevented from moving relative to each other and the container.
 2. A method of packaging grinding wheels according to claim 1 wherein the step of stacking the grinding wheels comprises: stacking the grinding wheels vertically on a support on one of the end covers placed on the support; and the encompassing step is accomplished by slipping the tube endwise over the stack of wheels and the one end cover.
 3. A method of packaging grinding wheels according to claim 2 further comprising: placing strapping means on the support under the one end cover before stacking the wheels; then encompassing the stacked row of wheels in the container and placing an end cover over the stacked wheels; and then tensioning and sealing the strapping means around the container. 